Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-21

'No." Lizette spoke with emphasis, and
the quick color arose in her face. Certainly
not. This came by mail, and from America"
Isabelle relapsed into a thoughtful silence
Then she left the room and hunted up her
bachelor brother, Lowell Brown, and told
him that Lizette had received an offer of
marriage, and she feared she meant to ~
cept it. Obviously it was an old affair.
Lowell looked at her, but he could not
speak for coughing, and she, having planted
her seed, went away. He was very charm
ing man, but distressingly ill He was wan
and pale and had severe cough. lie
wrapped himself in cloak and sat in the
sun, trying to keep warm. The two ladies sat
with him and listened to him talk, Tor this
was his especial gift His especial hobby was
archaeology, and he longed for health so that
he might dig on the shores of the Black sea
and discover cities forgotten even by ira
dtion. 1t pleased Lizette's imagination TO
listen to him. and, if only for change, it was
well to talk to one who cared nothing Tor
color, composition, nor sincere feeling He
delighted in her for many reasons, and when
his sister left him he laid his wan, handsome
face back on the pillows and sighed. Had he
been well man Iizette should have refused
all offers but his OWL, and his longing to have
her with him should keep her.
Presently Lizette came in, carrying little
Bette Hilyard, and sitting down with the
child on her lap, began TO teach her to play
''bookbinder" by making a pile of their -four
hands. After a time she noticed how silent
the young man was, and how he kept his eyes
fixed on her, and also how sad they were.
Are You not weIl4' she said May get
you some fruit"
mo
as there nothing l can do for your She
put the child down and came and stood by
him. They all nursed and waited on him.
"No."
| Nov it was her ewes that were sad and in
| curing, and he could not bear it. He took
| her hand in his own.
| Look" be said
His hand was long and slender; hers was
short and plump; but his looked like yellow
wax, while hers was rosy with health.
| "Mine shows work. she said And have
| such horrid short fingers"
"If mine had drop of vigorous blood in it
you should never take yours away" And
then he grasped it in II way that showed
| power over his muscles
For answer, and without one moments hes
tation. Lizette closed her fingers around his
palm, and he didn't find them too short. But
suddenly he opened his hand wide and let
hers drop.
"Ah, no. he said: cit is not right Go
away, Lizette"
At this she smiled and sat down by him.
Lowell" she said, 1--WE knew each other
when we were children
He smiled and looked at her with delight
for when they were children they had prom
ised 10 marry each other. But it is too late
now" and his face darkened.
II can be your friend, she replied.
This was the basis on which the allianc,
was made. hut Lowell had very high ides
of the duties of friendship, and little by littl'
he grew very exacting, while Lizette neve
resented his demands, because he was suffer
ing, and she liked him, and he was 50 yer,
pale and i'll.
There were four in the party-Isabelle
Lizette. Lowell and DR.. Harrod. The fourtl
on the list was a young naval officer, ship
mate OF Jack Hilyard. He was on leave il
Naples, and was perfectly willing TO escOr
Isabelle, talk to Iizette and discuss excava
lions with Lowell, but lie asserted that moth
ing worth the cost would come of them
After he began to see that the friendship he
tween the two gave Lowell a right to apprc
pirate and absorb I.izette, and even to hol
her little fingers. he was forced to take q di
ferent interest in Lowell He looked at hir
with stricter professional eyes, and one ia
he said to I4izettA, DO you know what Lowe
ought TO dO.'
: "No; l wish did"
"Buy spade and 60 to the Black sen an
dig"
: "Nonsense" she replied "How could
man 50 i'll do that! Why, he would die b
fore he got there
D HE will die if he does not go somewher
+ and digging would be an excellent prescri
r ton"
. with his lungsI-
o ''His lungs, bliss Lizette, are as good
4 yours l suspected it, and examined the
4 yesterday He is a dreadful dyspeptic, al
= you two women are killing him, nursing al
feeding him you dos"
n ''Dyspeptics never cough as he does"
9 "Don't theyT'
: "And his looks show that he has-has &C
y sumption" She felt guilt in mentioning Il
S fatal word.
Il 'Well,n replied the doctor, "make wi
e diagnosis You please, but | tell you this, NJ
e Lizette: he can be cured and made a CO
It paratively well man, or he can fade aw
s. and die IL year, just as he is treated
/ He was most positive young man.
e came to quick conclusions, and he chung
II them. The two women had little chance
l. argument with him because he was me
vehement, and he backed himself by mt
knowledge and medical wisdom. 1t was Il
II difficult to persuade them that any chan
i ought to be taken, and The doctor gave
ii the extreme measure of digging, but he
re sisted on a change, if only from Naples
"a Rome. But it was hard to persuade Lowe
III He wanted to recover, but he was in tt
e stage when Mohammed insists that the MOI
tain shall come to him. He consented
g change his Notwithstanding is easier t.
lie sick person--but to walk TO travel! 1t W
IL impossible.
VI No one could convince him, and finally I
y woman said they would not worry him abo
III it. So for little while all was quiet, I'm
u there came letter from Mr. Hilyard ask
N his wife TO come at once 10 Constantinop
s. The letter was very brief, and gave no RI
III sons but it was peremptory Now here W
10 dilemma. Lowell could not be left a
IS Lizette, of course, could not stay with hi
Is The doctor, who was the only one not 81
vi prised by the summons, suggested that Lo
r. ell should go with hin sister. He hinsalf h
to return to his ship, and could not go vi
OF the party; and perhaps Miss Lizette wot
en- like to make some Oriental studiesf T
us fired Lizette at once, and she decided to
no with Isabelle. So the sick man was careful
le- and tenderly dragged to Constantinople, al
as against his perverse will, was better inste
10 of worse
as And he continued to improve. After
found that Lizette was anxious to go here a
HI there, and that the young men of her IT
en- wanted to escort her where she would, he |
nd bis suffering body under the command of
81, will, and he too went with her, and more q
more.
M And then the day came when he stood
as her with firm, good tan on his hands a
ne dawning health in his eyes, and asked
NJ when she would marry him.
ud Lizette looked at him with horror as {
ay realized her position. She had not war;
er- herself against his claims, because, hard a
he cruel as it seems, she had thought of him
M one who was doomed, and this underlined fe
he ing had given her both tenderness and FIR
so dom She had repealed other men who wol
have made claims on her love. She b
ot drifted into relations with Lowell that n
ad frightened around her. He had regarded
to as the woman he wished to marry if life w
he possible, and now, when he began to
,ot | yipnr and hone ha hold hor facility hon